Joudie Kalla: Palestine Told Through Flavor at AUK’s 2025 Gala
Arabs in Britain (AUK) will host Palestinian–British chef and author Joudie Kalla at its third annual gathering. Kalla is considered one of the most influential voices presenting Palestinian cuisine as a complete cultural narrative rather than a collection of inherited recipes.
Her presence reflects a vision that turns food into a window onto history, identity, and human experience — offering a Palestine revealed through the details of daily life rather than political rhetoric alone.
From Home Memory to the Global Stage
Kalla grew up in London in a Palestinian family where the kitchen served as a daily meeting place — a space where stories travelled as naturally as the recipes themselves.
When she entered the world of professional cooking, she carried these deep-rooted memories with her, reshaping them into a contemporary voice that introduces Palestine in a way anyone can connect with.
Her books Palestine on a Plate and Baladi helped cement Palestinian cuisine within global culinary culture, linking food to the broader social history and living memory of Palestine.
Her work is not an attempt to preserve something fading, but a celebration of what is alive, rooted, and enduring.
A Narrative of Life, Not the Margins
In her interviews and online platforms, Kalla describes Palestinian cuisine as a “language” of its own — one that reflects the diversity of the Palestinian landscape from coast to mountain, and from urban centres to rural communities.
Viewed through this lens, her work presents Palestinian culture with clarity and confidence — vibrant, continuous, and deeply woven into the daily identity of Palestinians everywhere.
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A Cultural Presence at the AUK Gala Dinner 2025
The Arabs in Britain Award returns for its third edition on 1 December 2025, celebrating excellence, inspiration, and service.
Kalla’s participation adds a rich cultural dimension to the Gala Dinner, presenting Palestine as a full human experience expressed through food.
Her presence invites reflection on how heritage — particularly culinary heritage — becomes a bridge between homeland and diaspora, and a living part of the Arab cultural landscape in Britain.
Between Identity and Diaspora: A Narrative of Presence, Not Loss
Kalla’s approach does not stem from a sense of loss or displacement.
Instead, it rests on the conviction that Palestinian identity is whole and present — and that sharing it with the world is a creative cultural act, not merely a political reaction.
Her journey echoes the wider expressions of Palestinian life in art, food, research, music, and literature — all connected by a single thread: a Palestine that tells its own story.
Click here to vote for the Arab Personality of the Year.
The Third Annual Arabs in Britain Forum (AUK)
AUK will hold its third annual forum on Monday, 1 December 2025, at the Hilton Watford in London, with the participation of notable Arab and British figures from the fields of culture, media, and community engagement.
The forum aims to strengthen the presence of Arabs in British public life, celebrate inspiring achievements, and build wider networks of cooperation across politics, the economy, culture, and the creative sector.
Arab Personality of the Year — Third Edition
The event will feature the announcement of the winner of the Arab Personality of the Year in Britain — Third Edition, an annual award given to an Arab figure who has made a significant contribution to serving the Arab community in Britain or delivered a professional or public achievement with a clear and lasting impact.
Award criteria include:
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Wide community impact
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Commitment to public-service values
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Professional or creative excellence
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Contribution to strengthening the positive presence of Arabs in Britain
This edition builds on the success of the previous two, which honoured Arab figures who made notable contributions in public life, media, and economic fields.
Kalla’s presence reinforces that the Palestinian narrative — in all its forms — remains an integral part of the Arab presence in Britain.
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